Trustees
In all Academy Trusts, the individuals appointed to challenge and scrutinise the strategic direction and day to day running of the company, led by the Chief Executive Officer, have three functions:
◾They are Directors – because the MAT is a company, and;
◾They are Trustees – because the MAT is a charity, and;
◾They are Governors – because the MAT is responsible for running the schools.
This can be very confusing as the documentation used to set up the Academy Trust and the Department for Education guidance for Academies uses these three titles interchangeably, depending on the context. In HCAT, this role is simply called ‘Trustee’. Trustees are made up of a diverse range of individuals. The Members will always appoint Trustees, and Trustees have the option to appoint associate Trustees.
Our Trust Board Register of Business Interest includes for each of our trust’s members serving at any point over the past 12 months, their full names, date of appointment, date they stepped down (where applicable), and relevant business and pecuniary interests including governance roles in other educational institutions and also their attendance at meetings – HCAT Register of Business Interest
Our governance arrangements outlines the structure and remit of the trust’s members, board of trustees, sub committees and local committee’s:
Our Trustees
Michael Knight – Chair of the Board – Michael is Chief Information Security Officer at The University of Manchester and brings a wealth of experience in strategic oversight, digital transformation, data, cyber security, change and risk management.
Stephen Gallagher – Stephen is the Vice Chair of the Trust. Stephen has been a Parent Governor and is currently the Chair of Governors at Ward Green Primary School for over 15 years. In the past he has also been the Chair of Governors at another school. He is a solicitor specialising in employment law. This gives him experience with HR matters, workforce planning, and legal risk management and performance management/ improvement.
Andrew Kent – (Independent) A confident and pro-active leader with extensive experience of managing large-scale projects while devising effective strategic planning and delivering outcomes within timescales and budgets and has extensive experience of working at Board level in educational, health, and voluntary sector organisations.
Michelle Sault – Michelle is the former headteacher of a specialist biophilic school for pupils aged 11–16 with communication and interaction needs. Experienced in leading mental health initiatives, including contributing to the Department for Education’s national rollout. Skilled in inclusive practice, with extensive experience supporting children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Mark Utley – (Independent) – Mark is a professional Chartered Management Accountant working for a global technology company who specialise in helping organisations across different industry sectors with digital transformation, technological decarbonisation, cyber risk management and outsourcing. Mark specialises in the Financial Services sector and will use his extensive experience of corporate governance and risk management to bring value to the academy in support of its strategic aims.